With UFC's 170-pound log jam, where do UFC on FX 2 headliners belong?

http://mmajunkie.comSYDNEY – While UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre’s knee injury has certainly caused both him and the organization a few frustrations, his sidelining has seen a few benefits for the rest of the UFC’s 170-pound roster.

For the first time in a long time, the division again seems competitive.

And so it is at UFC on FX 2, where perennial contenders Thiago Alves (19-8 MMA, 11-5 UFC) and Martin Kampmann (18-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) clash in the FX-broadcast headliner. Both admit they still have title aspirations, but what, exactly, is at stake?

“Stylistically, this is a fantastic fight,” UFC president Dana White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “Both of these guys have fought the absolute best in the world. This is a very important fight for them on Saturday to keep moving up the ladder to get another title shot.”

The two headline UFC on FX 2, which takes place Saturday at Sydney’s Allphones Arena. Due to the time difference, the event airs live Friday night on FX in the U.S.

Alves fights for the first time since this past November, where he earned a first-round submission win over promotional newcomer Papy Abedi. The result was a refreshing departure from an unfortunate 1-3 stretch that saw Alves drop from title challenger to the middle of the pack, and “Pitbull” claims it’s the beginning of a new phase in his career.

“I changed a lot of things in my personal life and my training camp, also,” Alves said. “I changed a few of my coaches and brought Mike Dolce in, since my last fight, not just for nutrition, but for strength and conditioning, too.

“Dolce has definitely played a big part in this phase of my career, but it’s just everything around me that I changed. I’m still training at American Top Team, but I had a recycle with coaches. I’ve got a new coaching staff in. It takes a while for you to get comfortable with a trainer and for them to know you better. That’s where I’m at right now, with everything I’ve been doing, and I’m prepared.”

Meanwhile, Kampmann also recently broke out of a slide, scoring a November win over Rick Story to snap a two-fight losing streak. Of course, those losses were both narrow and somewhat controversial results against Diego Sanchez and Jake Shields, and many MMA observers believe Kampmann could have easily been awarded a win in either or even both of the fights.

“I feel that some of those losses are kind of BS, but I feel I can beat the best of the best in the division,” Kampmann said. “The focus is beating Thiago on Saturday. Then we’ll take it from there.”

Despite a combined 29 UFC fights between them, both Alves and Kampmann are both still less than 30 years old and would seem to have plenty more octagon appearances ahead of them. But with St-Pierre on the sidelines, now be the best time of all to make a run to the top of the division.

Carlos Condit in February beat Nick Diaz to claim the division’s interim belt, putting him at the top of the active heap. Diaz is facing a potential yearlong suspension, so he’s not in the current discussion. Jake Ellenberger’s recent win over Diego Sanchez would seem to put him next in line, but there’s a gap behind him waiting to be filled.

While there are no guarantees for this weekend’s winner, things would seem to favor the victor earning a respectable position.

“It’s a big fight for both of these guys,” White said. “It’s a great fight, a tough fight, and a big win for whichever guy wins this weekend.”

How big remains to be seen.

Alves, despite his recent 2-3 run, would be 3-1 in his past four fights and is always a fan-favorite. The American Top Team fighter believes that should be enough to put him in the proverbial “mix.”

“I’m the main event in a UFC fight, and I’m very blessed to be here,” Alves said. “My goal on Saturday is to put in a great performance. I think I’m still a top contender, and after this fight, I’m definitely going to solidify that.”

And Kampmann may have even more on the line. A victory would put him at 4-2 in his past six outings – and with the aforementioned close calls, just a hair away from 6-0.

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